About:

• During the celebrations on Saturday, which also included a parade and an address by Army Chief Gen M M Naravane, the new combat uniform for the Indian Army was unveiled.
  
  
• The new uniform will be made available in a phased manner to the nearly 12 lakh personnel of the Indian Army.
  
  

How is the new uniform different from the Army’s old uniform?

• The main changes in the new uniform, compared to the old one that has been in use since 2008, are with regard to the camouflage pattern, design, and the use of new material.
  
  
• While the new unique camouflage pattern retains the combination of the same colors — olive green and earthen shades — the pattern is digital now.
  
  
• It has been designed keeping in mind the many kinds of operational conditions that the soldiers function in, from deserts to high-altitude areas, jungles, and plains.
  
  
• This is the other important change in the uniform. The fabric for the new material makes it lighter, sturdier, more breathable, and more suitable for the different terrains that soldiers are posted in.
  
  
• The cotton-to-polyester ratio is 70:30, making it quicker to dry, more comfortable to wear in humid and hot conditions and lightweight.
  
  
• According to the Army, it is an ergonomically designed, operationally effective, new-generation camouflage combat uniform. The fabric is 15 percent lighter and has 23 percent more strength against tearing, against the current uniform.
  
  
• The ergonomic features allow for long-hour use and comfort, and micro features are inbuilt for the use of the wearer in field conditions.